It was impossible to resist the temptation to have a peek after about twenty minutes. It was rising nicely and she was so proud, but there was one thing she wasn’t sure about. She popped into the front room. ‘Ma, how do you tell when a cake is cooked?’

‘You stick a knife in the middle, ducky. If it comes out clean, then it’s done.’

‘Thanks.’ She returned to the kitchen and hovered by the stove until the cooking time was over. When she opened the oven door, she was disappointed to see that it had collapsed in the middle, but the knife came out clean so it must be cooked.

Using a cloth, Jenny picked up the tin and took it to Ma. ‘It’s sunk!’

Ma studied the cake and pursed her lips. ‘Did you open the oven door too soon?’

‘I had a look to see how it was getting on,’ she admitted, watching the elderly woman’s face carefully. She wasn’t sure if she was going to tell her off for making a mess of it, or burst into helpless laughter. It was hard to tell from her guarded expression.

‘Ah, that’s why. You shouldn’t do that.’ Ma leant forward and sniffed. ‘It smells all right, though. Tip it out and leave it upside down and the hole in the middle won’t show so much.’

Jenny eyed it doubtfully. ‘Is it going to be edible?’

Ma did chuckle then. ‘If you mean can we eat it, well, there’s only one way to find out. Put the kettle on and we’ll try it.’

As Jenny went back to the kitchen, she heard Ma give a stifled hoot of laughter. When the tea was made, she cut two slices of the hot cake and took them back to the front room. Jenny didn’t touch hers but watched Ma eat in silence, gazing into space as she chewed each mouthful and picking up the last of the crumbs with the tip of her finger and popping them in her mouth. After giving the cake her very careful tasting test, Ma grinned at Jenny. ‘Don’t look very pretty, but it tastes all right. Not bad for a first effort.’

Jenny beamed at the praise.

Ma was still asleep when Jenny looked in her room at five the next morning, and she didn’t wake her. She doubted the elderly woman got up early, so she’d get her breakfast when she got back.